February 8, 2010
Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Features, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Personal, Reviews, Society, Style, Tourism, northern mindanao
Mexican themed restaurant Mooon Cafe is one of my favorite eating places in Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao. Apart from the yummy food, the prices are reasonable and the ambience is pretty laid back. Whenever there’s a chance, I also see to it that I bring my mom and brothers to the said restaurant in CDO and we all share fun, family bonding over hearty meals at Mooon Cafe CDO.
Mooon Cafe (yes, it has three “O’s”!) Cagayan de Oro branch, located at the first floor of Robinsons CDO, is the establishment’s first franchised branch outside of Cebu City where they have outlets in I.T. Park and Ayala Terraces, among others.
What I usually order (and what I can therefore recommend to all of you) are: for starters – quesadilla uno, campesinos (see the photo in this entry – these are good!), campesino jalapeno (for those who love the chilli version) and chicken flautas.
You may also want to try their signature beef taco and burrito pescado.
For barkadas or families, you can share the nacho de salsa or nacho spinners.
For the main course, I like the house specialty Mooon steak and the fish mozarella melt. When my brothers and I are really hungry though and are therefore in the mood to eat, we order the super delish Mexican baby back ribs or tenderloin steak. Really, really good!
And all of these meals are relatively cheap! The baby back ribs meal, for instance, is priced below P200.00 Not bad, right?
Mooon Cafe also has fish meals — blue marlin tangigue steak (my mom’s fave), tuna belly and breaded fish fillet.
Here’s a photo I took of the blue marlin tangigue steak:
Upon my mom’s prodding, we decided to eat at Tita Annie’s at Victoria Plaza, Bajada, Davao City in a recent trip to my hometown Davao. I was craving for batchoy at that time so I ordered the Tita Annie’s special batchoy.
Batchoy is basically comprised of sweet meat broth, slices of meat and pork innards, spring onions, garlic and other taste enhancers plus fresh noodles. Batchoy is usually topped off with crushed pork cracklings (chicharon).
So you can just imagine my dismay when this was served to me:
Not only did it taste bland, I particularly didn’t like the fact that the chicharon wasn’t crushed. Instead of being extra toppings, the pork skin cracklings looked as if they were “part” of the meal itself. Ayayay.
Meal wasn’t worth it. That was a disappointment.
What about you guys? Have you been disappointed with a meal you ordered recently?
November 4, 2009
BIMP-EAGA, Business, Commentary, Controversial, Davao City, Food, Mindanaoan Update, News
A PNA article caught my attention today. It said that an American feeds supplier is eyeing lobster production in the Davao region here in Mindanao! A certain Denzil Nicholson of Verdant Ocean, an aquaculture feeds company, said that they’re keen on the possibility of producing lobsters in Davao.
“The region is a good area for development. It is one of the most viable industries as lobster stocks are on the decline,” Nicholson was quoted as saying.
Did you notice the tricky part? He said “lobster stocks are on the decline.”
I wonder if the proposed lobster production process would involve “synthetic” procedures or would the entire thing adopt natural means?
Nicholson was part of the US-Philippines Agribusiness Trade and Investment Mission. The group visited the 60-hectare mariculture park of the Bureau of Aquatic Resources and Fisheries in Panabo City, Davao.
While I understand that investments are crucial to an area’s growth and development and while I do appreciate the fact that this project, should it push through, will spur more jobs, I would appreciate more information on just how the lobster production process would go.
Would it affect our ecological system?
Would proper taxes be imposed?
And the questions go on and on and on.
What about you? What do you think? Is this a promising project?
So I was in Davao City a few days ago to accompany one of my mom’s classes. It was a quick, day-long tour and included in our agenda were Davao Crocodile Park (I’ll blog about this next), Ateneo de Davao University college campus and of course…a visit to my favorite durian candy store in my hometown – Lola Abon’s.
My brothers and I grew up knowing that if you want durian candy, eat Lola Abon’s products. Nothing else. Don’t settle for those sold in bus terminals or in grocery stores. Lola Abon’s made the best durian candy products. That’s it.
Lola Abon died years ago but my brothers and I met her. This was way back when her “store” was basically her home garage and her workers were hidden behind a curtain just a few steps away. Whenever we visit her store and buy her candies, we were always given extra pieces. Lola was a very amiable lady.
So whenever we had guests or if my cousins’ classes had to tour Davao and wanted to buy “pasalubong,” we always, ALWAYS brought them to Lola Abon’s. There were times when some would just settle for those sold in terminals but they end up asking their classmates for pieces of Lola Abon’s products. It was simply good and worth the money.
Fortunately, it looks like my mom’s students agree with me 
Lola Abon’s is located at 23 San Miguel Village, Matina, Davao City (right across the GSIS office, take two blocks…you won’t miss it since the store is already well-known at that area).
I suggest that apart from durian candies, you also purchase mangosteen products. Very, very tasty!
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Why Mindanaoans especially Dabawenyos still love TAPS
December 3, 2009
Commentary, Davao City, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Musings
4 comments
New fastfood outlets and restaurants may pop up like mushrooms in Davao City Mindanao but methinks Dabawenyos still love TAPS. Taps, short for “tapsilog” (tapa – sinangag – itlog), has long been in the food industry in Davao City and it’s known for its wide array of “pares” or “tapsi” meals. Name it – they most probably have it. From tapsilog to bangsilog (bangus-sinangag-itlog) to tocilog to lekasilog (lechon kawali-sinangag-itlog) to adosilog (adobo-sinangag-itlog), TAPS Davao has it!
If I’m not mistaken, they’ve been in existence for more than 15 years. Taps was one of the places my friends and I frequently hung out in during our high school days (only goes to show my age, eh?) These days, Taps now has branches in Bolton Street (the one I still frequently go to), Sta. Ana Street, Legaspi Street and at Matina Town Square.
So why do Mindanaoans especially Dabawenyos still love TAPS?
Firstly, because the prices are oh-so-affordable!
Just take this primasilog meal, for instance. Primasilog means pritong manok-sinangag-itlog!
For only P55.00, you get two pieces of medium-sized fried chicken, egg and fried rice. Not bad, right?
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